by MTHULISI SIBANDA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s praise of the controversial land reforms in neighbouring Zimbabwe have laid bare the differences on foreign policy in South Africa’s coalition government.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), the biggest partner of Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC) in the government, lashed at the president after he lauded the reforms in Zimbabwe this past weekend, when he was the guest of honour at the Harare Agricultural Show.
He is quoted in the Zimbabwean capital as lauding the land reform programme as “essential” and “ambitious.”
“The DA condemns and rejects this praise by Ramaphosa for a process which left Zimbabwe in tatters, destroying its economy, destroying its foreign relations, and creating famine for its people,” Willie Aucamp, DA national spokesperson, said.
He said because land was not legally transferred, the Zimbabwe model praised by Ramaphosa led to crippling financial reparations being due to former farmers and land owners.
“Ramaphosa is attempting to whitewash the disaster in Zimbabwe, to create momentum for the ANC’s land expropriation agenda in terms of the Expropriation Act of 2025,” Aucamp said.
The Expropriation Act of 2025 is an instrument by the government of South Africa to acquire land for redistribution.
The DA, accused of protecting the interests of the Whites, is opposed to the law.
It is also the source of a fallout between South Africa and the United States, which argues the law is part of “genocide” against the minority whites in South Africa.
South Africa is under threat of sanctions by the Donald Trump administration because of the legislation.
The US and Western allies imposed sanctions against Zimbabwe when the African country embarked on land reforms in 2000.
“The DA, as a governing partner in South Africa’s government of national unity, reiterates that it is not an agreed or formal policy of the South African government to endorse Zimbabwe’s land confiscation programme,”Aucamp said.
The DA and ANC have longrunning differences with ANC over Zimbabwe.
The DA denounces Zimbabwe as an autocratic regime while the ANC is an ally of that country’s ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) due to their liberation ties.
The DA accuses the ANC-led government of siding with other regimes said to be dictatorial, including China and Russia.
They also differ on the ANCs denouncement of Israel.
The coalition, also known as the government of national unity, has been in place since 2024 after the ANC lost the majority it enjoyed from independence in 1994.
– CAJ News